Joining with Kat and friends today to talk about what I'm knitting and reading. Still…
The Read With Us Lounge: Vacation Reading
Summer reading, in my book (see what I did there?), is anything I’m reading between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And it could be any genre or subject or length. But then there’s vacation reading . . . and that’s different.
At the risk of stating the obvious, I define vacation reading as the books I choose to read when I’m on (wait for it) vacation. It doesn’t always coincide with summer reading, because I take vacations throughout the year, but when it does happen in the summer then I’m often camping or in a rented house by the ocean.
And I have thoughts about the books I enjoy reading when I’m on vacation.
My only rule is that I don’t want anything too heavy. I’m not saying no to literary fiction necessarily, but I distinctly remember reading The Kite Runner while at the beach on Cape Cod and really struggling to get through it. My idyllic setting was a very sharp contrast to the setting in the book and that made it difficult for me to get absorbed by it.
So what do I want to read on vacation? Books that are absorbing, well written, and accessible.
I’ve never really thought about it before but I’m realizing that being on vacation changes the way I read. At home, I’m perfectly happy with books that are challenging and ask a lot from me as the reader. On vacation, I want to sink into the story almost immediately. I want to look up from my book and pause or ponder because a loon called in the bay or a fish jumped out of the pond, not because I’m struggling with the writing style or figuring out a complicated plot.
That doesn’t mean I want “junk food” books. Looking at you, Colleen Hoover. I still want excellent writing, memorable characters, and a story that stays with me after I get home. I just don’t want to work quite so hard for it. Vacation reading, for me, is immersive rather than demanding.
I often reach for historical fiction, family sagas, mysteries, or even the occasional thriller, as long as it’s well written. I want to be completely swept away by a story. I want to think, “just one more chapter,” while the coffee brews at the campsite or before we head down to the beach. Those are the books that seem to fit the rhythm of vacation reading best for me.
Of course, your vacation reading rules might look completely different from mine. Maybe this is when you finally tackle that intimidating classic or the 700-page literary novel that’s been sitting on your shelf for years. Or maybe you’re all in on thrillers, romances, or fantasy.
That’s one of the best things about reading, isn’t it? The right book isn’t just about who you are. Sometimes it’s about where you are, too.
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I am nodding along with you on a book that immediately draws you in. For me that is a good mystery… a book I know I will enjoy, won’t have to work too hard but can feel a member of the “team” as we figure out “who did it”… Ahhhh, vacation reading is the best!
It’s funny, but I tend to not read much at all on vacation. John is a person who wants to be doing lots of things on vacation, so there’s not often too much down time. Our vacations the past few years have tended to be to visit people, so that also precludes much reading. I do love when we visit my SiL and her husband as we spend lots of time talking about books and often come home with several borrowed copies.
Agree. I don’t take vacations anymore, but I usually read an immersive book that was not too challenging. I really agree with your last statement, Carole. Whether or not a book appeals to me is dependent on where I am, not necessarily location, but where I am in my life. Lately, I am drifting toward more optimistic fiction because I need to get away from the news and the chaos of the world at the moment.
I am remembering the days when packing for vacation included packing a rather large tote bag filled with books! I think of vacation reading as a book I can sink into and “escape” if needed. Any genre will typically do. When younger, I loved the James Michener books. They always provided hours of reading. Memoirs are always good and can transport you to someplace else (thinking of Gladys Taber’s books or Under the Tuscan Sun).
I’m not a vacation-reader . . . If I go somewhere on vacation, I’m not usually sitting around reading. We rarely take sit-around vacations; it’s usually more activity-based or people-visiting kinds of things. I do, however, read WHILE I travel (like on a plane or waiting in an airport or station) . . . but then it’s just whatever I’m reading anyway.
When I am relaxing on vacation I want a book that draws me right in with a bit of mystery, interesting characters, and maybe set in an English manor house, but I’ll read most anything while I’m on vacation as long as it keeps my attention!
I am in complete agreement with you here. Back when I was growing up and we’d do summer vacations, I’d always be reading, and it wasn’t unusual for me to go through a book in a day or two. I’d always want them to be well written and not junk, but I also wanted to be fully sucked in.
I think of vacation reading as beach reads. I want engaging, quick reads such as suspense, mysteries, or thrillers.